By Cajetan Mmuta
Senator Andy Uba Governorship Campaign Organization (SAUGCO) on Monday challenges Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State to speak up on the alleged $4million bribe allegation leveled against him and staff of the Independent National Election Commission, (INEC), aimed at rigging the November 6th Governorship election in the state.
It also urged security agencies to expose all persons involved in the saga.
The APC Governorship candidate’s campaign organization noted that 48 hours after a programmed bid to compromise the outcome of the November 6, 2021, gubernatorial election in Anambra state was blown open, those fingered in the deal are, sadly, still walking the streets, free.”
Director, Media and Publicity of the SAUGCO, Hon. Afam Ogene who expressed disappointment at the development in a statement issued in Awka the state capital called on the nation’s security agencies to swiftly unravel those behind the sordid attempt to subvert the will of Ndi Anambra.
It would be recalled that a national daily had in its edition of Saturday, October 16, 2021, reported inter alia: “A Southeast governor and a top official of the Independent National Electoral Commission have run into trouble with security agencies over a princely sum of $4 million bribes doled out by the governor as a bribe to compromise the November 6, gubernatorial election in Anambra state.”
Ogene said, “Since the scandal blew open, neither Governor Willy Obiano nor his Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr. C. Don Adinuba, have mustered the nerves to utter a single word in response, despite clear and unassailable indications that, indeed, the governor at the center of the bribery saga is the Anambra State helmsman.”
According to Ogene, “Instead of coming clean on the allegations, as it affects it, the Obiano administration had rather chosen to divert attention, by engaging third parties and social media miscreants under its payroll to engage in a wild goose chase over who the alleged governor and his spouse are.”
“Besides the $4 million bribe money, the newspaper report also made mention of ‘the wife of the politician, who is described as an influential and powerful first lady in the Southeast (who) is reported to have been meeting secretly with many electoral officers, EOs, who are key to the forthcoming election.”
“In the face of the puerile attempts to divert attention from the First Lady in issue, we hasten to raise the following posers; which First Lady in the Southeast is reputed to freely dish out slaps to aides and government functionaries?
The campaign organization further asked which First Lady did her husband openly address as ‘Her Excellency, the Governor’ in a viral video and which First Lady is known to vet government appointments before release?
as well as which First Lady chastised her husband’s deputy, to the point of compelling him to defect to another political party, simply because she took umbrage at him paying a private visit to a prominent son of the state?
However,State Commissioner for I formation and Public Enlightenment Mr. C Don Adinuba when contacted by ThisNigeria said he cannot react to the allegations made because the name and state of the governor in the Southeast involved in the said story of the allegation were never mentioned.
Anambra guber poll: Andy Uba appoints Ogene as Media Director
Adinuba said “Are we suppose to speak when they go and sponsor a false and frivolous story? Am I mentioned, was Anambra state government mentioned? Which Governor in the Southeast? Let’s say Abia, Imo; why should I presume on the name of the governor? This is a story they planted in different newspapers.”
While noting the newspaper that “The evidence against the governor’s breach of his oath of office and public trust is strong but he is still protected under the immunity clause, but we will see what happens once his immunity elapses.” Ogene added that “We ask again: Of all the governors of the Southeast, whose immunity is due to expire soon? Governor Willy Obiano of Anambra state, of course.”
“We, therefore, call on our nation’s security agencies not to lend credence to current boasts within government circles in Awka, that the bribery saga would fizzle out in a matter of days.
“On our part, we call on the media, civil society organizations and anti-graft agencies to beam their searchlights on the burgeoning crisis, which is capable of tainting the outcome of the Anambra governorship election, if not nipped in the bud.”
